Today marks the beginning of Rail Safety week, an important campaign urging motorists to be alert at level crossings to avoid serious injury or death.
The reality is, every collision and near miss at a level crossing can be avoided by drivers paying more attention and obeying railway signs and signals.
The Hodgman Liberal Government is also playing its part in boosting rail safety with this year’s State Budget providing a further $1.1 billion for road and rail upgrades to deliver a better, safer and more productive transport system for Tasmanians.
This includes the State Government's pledge to match the Federal Government's $59.8 million commitment to Tranche Two of the freight rail revitalisation program, which will allow Tasrail to deliver freight in a more timely, safe and competitive manner.
On behalf of the Government, I urge all Tasmanians to stay vigilant not only during Rail Safety week, but every single time they are waiting at a rail crossing.
I would also like to commend TasRail for their important efforts in promoting this safety message.